Fluorescent lighting fixture



March 4, 1958 A. E. ZINGONE 2,825,798

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed May 14, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

' ATTOENEYS ANTHONY azmeows I March 4, 1958 A. E. ZINGONE 2,825,798

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed May 14, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T I I II I I I I I I 3. V E mm mm mm IN VEN TOR. ANTHONY E. ZINGONE ATTORNEYS hL III I IIIIIII ilnited States Patent FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTUREAnthony E. Zingone, Massapequa, N. Y., assiguor to Nee-Ray Products,Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 14,1956, Serial No. 584,765

2 Claims. (Cl. Mil-51.11)

This invention relates to fighting fixtures and while not limitedthereto, has specific reference to an improved construction offluorescent fixture housing.

An object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture housinghaving a light transmitting shield supported by the housing so as tosurround the bottom and opposite sides of the fluorescent tubes andwhich shield is closed at its ends by end shields interfitting therewithand removably carried by the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light transmittingshield which has hooked engagement with opposite sides of the lightingfixture and which is retained in position thereon by the interfittingengagement therewith of the end shields whereby the end shields may beremoved and the light transmitting shield unhooked from either side ofthe lighting fixture for gaining access to the fluorescent tubes carriedby the fixture.

The invention also has in view a lighting fixture which is of elongatedor continuous formation having a plurality of light transmitting shieldsdisposed in end to end relation in hooked engagement therewith wherebyany one of the light transmitting panels may be unhooked from eitherside of the housing for gaining access to the fluorescent tubes.

Still another object of the invention is to connect the end shields withthe housing by means of spring prongs adapted to engage through openingsin the end walls of the housing and to resiliently engage clips carriedby the housing for releasably retaining the end shield in closingrelation with the ends of the light transmitting shield.

Still another object of the invention is to provide spring means carriedby the housing and extending into overlying relation with the hookedends of the light transmitting shield for tensioning the same intohooked engagement with the housing and which permits of the upwardmovement of the sides of the light transmitting housing against thetension of said spring for unhooking the light transmitting shield fromthe housing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made tothe following specification and accompanying drawings in which thepreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a lighting fixture showing the housing,light transmitting shield and end shields shown in separatedjuxtaposition and with the central portion of the housing and lighttransmitting shield broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken approximately on line2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the lighting fixture housing is of generalrectangular formation having a top wall 11, opposite side walls 12 and13 and opposite end walls 14 and 15. Secured to the bottom of thehousing and extending longitudinally thereof is a support 16 for aplurality of fluorescent tubes 17 which extends substanice tially thefull length of the housing. The fluorescent tubes 17 are enclosed withina light transmitting shield 18 which is of general U-shaped formation incross section covering the opposite sides and the bottom ofthe tubes.End shields 19 are provided for covering the ends of the tubes.

The side walls 12 and 13 of the housing extend inwardly as at 20 andthence downwardly to provide the wall portion 21 on each side and thenceoutwardly to provide a horizontal wall 22 on each side with anupstanding rim 23 extending longitudinally of the housing at the outeredges of the wall portions 22. The side Walls thus formed provide alongitudinally extending recess 24 at each side of the housing.

The light transmitting shield 18 is supported by the housing so that thesame may be removed for gaining access to the fluorescent tubes and theend shields 19 fit over the ends of the light transmitting shield andhave latching engagement with the housing for releasably securing thesame in position thereon. The light transmitting shield is formed withinward curved upper ends 26 on each side which are adapted to hook overthe upstanding rims 23 to thereby support the said shields in dependingrelation on the housing. The curved ends 26 are retained in engagementwith the rims 23 against unintentional or accidental displacement bymeans of spring straps 28 located adjacent the opposite ends of thehousing with the ends 29 of the straps extending through openings 30 inthe wall portions 21 and into overlying relation with the curved upperends 26 of the shield. The straps 28 are formed with a medial U-shapedportion 31 which is riveted or otherwise secured as at 32 to the topwall 11 of the housing and with the ends 29 extending outwardly from thelower ends of said U- shaped portion' The shield 18 is fashioned of anydesired light transmitting material such as synthetic plastics which areof a character to permit of the flexing of the side walls outwardly asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings in order to position the curved ends 26into overlying relation with the rims 23. It is to be understood thatthe resiliency of the shield functions to retain the curved upper endsin normal inward position overlying the said rims.

The ends of the shield 18 are closed by the end shields 19 which areprovided with inwardly directed peripheral flanges 34 adapted totelescopically engage over the opposite end portions of the lighttransmitting shield 18. The end shields 19 have latching engagement withthe housing 10 to thereby retain the flanges 34 in telescopic engagementwith the shield 18 and prevent removal thereof until the end shields arereleased from said latched engagement. For this purpose the end shields19 are each provided with spring tongues 35 each having an angulatedoffset 36 adapted to slidably engage a correspondingly angulated keeper37 secured to the inside face of an end wall of the housing at one sideof an opening 38 therein into which the spring tongue is inserted intolatched engagement with the keeper 37. As illustrated, the springtongues 35 may be formed of flat spring straps 39 welded or otherwiseaffixed to the inside faces of the end shields 19 respectively with thespring tongues normally extending outwardly in diverging relationwhereby the tongues are tensioned against the keepers 37 when inlatching engagement therewith.

It will be understood that when the end shields 19 are pulled outwardly,the oifset portions 36 will be cammed to one side of the keepers torelease the same therefrom in order to free the shields 19 fromengagement with the light transmitting shield 18 whereby the shield 18may be released at one side from the upstanding rim 23 and swungdownwardly or removed for gaining access to the lighting elements.

' 3 'Ihe.'lighting fixture may be secured in any desired mannertotheunder side of a. ceiling and for this purpose the same may beattached to the overhead structure by securing means engagingthroughopenings 40 in the top, wall of the' housing; .While the preferred formof the invention is shown and ing an outwardly directed longitudinallyextending wall portion at each side terminating in an upwardly directedrim, a light transmitting shield adapted to cover the bottom and sidesof said lighting element, said shield having inwardly directedlongitudinally extending upper edge portions -at the opposite sidesthereof adapted to hook over said rims for supporting the shield on saidhousing, said shield being sufliciently resilient to permit of theoutward flexingof said opposite upper edge portions into and out ofoverlying relation with saidrims, and end shields having peripheralflanges for telescopic engagement with the end, portions of said firstmentioned shield and having spring latches adapted to engage keepermeans carried by. saidhousing for releasably securing said end shieldsin engagement with the first mentioned shield.

- 2. In a lighting fixture, a housing having opposite side and endwalls,'means' carried by said housing for supporting a lighting elementtherebelow, said housing having an outwardly directed longitudinallyextending wall portion at each side terminating in an upwardly directedrim, 2. light transmitting shield adapted to cover the bottom and sidesof said lighting element, said shield having inwardly directedlongitudinally extending upper edge portions at the opposite sidesthereof adapted to hook over said rims for supporting the shield on saidhousing, spring straps carried by saidvhousing and extending outwardlyinto overlying relation with the upper edge portions of said shield forresiliently retaining said shield in engagement with said rims, saidshield being sufliciently resilient to permit of the outward flexing ofsaid opposite upper edge portions into and out of overlying relationwith said rims, and end shields having peripheral flanges for telescopicengagement with the ends portions of said first mentioned shield andhaving spring, latches adapted to engage'kee'per means carried bylsaidhousing for releasably securing said end shields in engagement with thefirst mentioned shield.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,319,732 2,643,328 Elmendorf June 23, 1953 2,694,775 Florence Nov. 16,1954 FOREIGN PATENTS r 703,258 "Great Britain Feb. 3,1954

Guth May 18, 1943

